what is poverty? what is freedom?
If only there was a single person in this world who knew the answer to that question. World Bank defines poverty as living on one US dollar per day or less but what does that even measure? It is true that in America, living standards for the "well off" middle class American are even fairly high if compared to a majority of the world but not everyone in this world needs to live the way we do. Who is even to say that our way is the best way like many 'westerners' claim. Many people who read that statement from the World Bank would agree that poverty is interchangeable with the word 'poor' but that is not entirely what it means. Poverty is a socially constructed notion. Because we live in an unequal world, some one had to define the condition for those who do not have as much as another. Of the worlds 20 poorest countries, 18 of them are in Africa but that doesn't mean that they themselves, would view themselves as impoverished in all accounts. Certainly they do not all have iPhones, iPads, fancy cars, Platinum credit cards and the like, but that does not mean that they cannot afford the comforts that they deem necessary for a happy life.
Poverty is highly individualized. There can certainly be monetary poverty which is what most people think of when they hear the word but there is also familial and spiritual poverty among others. In class we were asked to define our idea of poverty in our own words and I defined it as this " the lack of all things needed to live a healthy, happy life. (i.e lack of resources, lack of proper nutrients, lack of empowerment...ultimately a lack of control). Someone might look at a tiny village in Korphe where Dr. Greg Mortensen (3 Cups of Tea) built a school and think that they need much more than just the school that he gave him but they have been living for many years on what they have and they are both happy and healthy so he gave them something they were lacking, education. Many people have read book and say that they are now free from ignorance and have an education and I am not discounting education at all, I think it is one of the most valuable things I have, but I am simply trying to suggest that while the idea of poverty is real, it cannot be defined. It is too real to too many different people insomuch that there is no one right answer. My definition itself deals, in my mind, with the idea of freedom as well. How would one be freed from this poverty? One Ghanaian woman defines freedom itself as this..."Define Freedom – To wake up every day to do what you love" Valerie The ability to wake up every day and do what you love would be a freeing thing. Without constraints to tie you down and the lack of food, the lack of hope, the lack of love, you would have the ability to do anything. I don't know whether or not I can even define these things fully in a way that I can understand myself. Thus is the dichotomy of thought of human beings. Some people upon reading this might agree while others could completely oppose and see my views as narrow minded but that is where the beauty of human beings comes from. Our differing views and thoughts are what makes the world go round."poverty" and "freedom" will both no doubt affect the every day dealings of the people with whom I interact so it is going to be important to keep that in mind and to come to understand how they view the ideas. Similarly it will be interesting to see how my thoughts change while I experience a different life in Ghana.
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